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Identification of nine new susceptibility loci for endometrial cancer
No full textEndometrial cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer of the female reproductive tract in developed countries. Through genome-wide association studies (GWAS), we have previously identified eight risk loci for endometrial cancer. Here, we present an expanded meta-analysis of 12,906 endometrial cancer cases and 108,979 controls (including new genotype data for 5624 cases) and identify nine novel genome-wide significant loci, including a locus on 12q24.12 previously identified by meta-GWAS of endometrial and colorectal cancer. At five loci, expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) analyses identify candidate causal genes; risk alleles at two of these loci associate with decreased expression of genes, which encode negative regulators of oncogenic signal transduction proteins (SH2B3 (12q24.12) and NF1 (17q11.2)). In summary, this study has doubled the number of known endometrial cancer risk loci and revealed candidate causal genes for future study
Propyl gallate
No full textThe title compound, propyl gallate (III), is an important substance popularly used in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Current chemical syntheses of this compound are based on the acylation supported by thionyl chloride, DIC/DMAP or Fischer esterification using a range of homogenous and heterogenous catalysts. In this paper, an efficient, green, straightforward, and economical method for synthesizing propyl gallate using potassium hydrogen sulfate, KHSO4, as the heterogenous acidic catalyst has been developed for the first time. In addition, this paper provides a comprehensive spectral dataset for the title compound, especially the new data on DEPT and 2D NMR (HSQC and HMBC) spectra which are not currently available in the literature
Opportunities and challenges of compliance to safe building codes: Bangladesh and Nepal
No full textThis paper discusses the opportunities and challenges of compliance to safe building codes in Bangladesh and Nepal for increased disaster resilience. Recent disasters in both countries highlight that non-compliance to building codes is one of the significant causes of building-related disasters. Increased institutional and community awareness of the importance of safe building codes presents an opportunity to explore barriers and enablers to compliance. Building codes do exist in the two countries, but compliance is generally absent or limited, especially in the widespread informal building sector, which has restricted access to codes and little financial capacity to comply. The research undertaken is significant for two reasons: (1) disaster resilience is of high concern nationally in both Bangladesh and Nepal, where safe buildings are required to protect human lives and assets; and (2) the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, among others, emphasize the importance of building codes. The project was formulated with the aim of identifying pathways for facilitating voluntary compliance to safe building codes for disaster resilience in Bangladesh and Nepal. The research methodology included two main components: a comprehensive literature review to identify potential solutions and gaps in terms of disaster resilience; and semi-structured interviews, including focus group discussions with stakeholders around challenges and opportunities for facilitating voluntary compliance to safe building codes. The findings were analyzed to understand how building codes might be more widely adopted to enable disaster resilience. A key output of the research is a training handbook on safe construction relevant to the informal sector and produced in local languages of the two case study countries
Striatum and pre-SMA facilitate decision-making under time pressure
No full textHuman decision-making almost always takes place under time pressure. When people are engaged in activities such as shopping,driving, or playing chess,they have to continually balance the demands for fast decisions against the demands for accurate decisions.In the cognitive sciences, this balance is thought to be modulated by a response threshold, the neural substrate of which is currently subject to speculation.In a speed decision-making experiment,we presented participants with cues that indicated different requirements for response speed.Application of a mathematical model for the behavioral data confirmed that cueing for speed lowered the response threshold. Functional neuroimaging showed that cueing for speed activates the striatum and the pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA),brain structures that are part of a closed-loop motor circuit involved in the preparation of voluntary action plans. Moreover, activation in the striatum is known to release the motor system from global inhibition, thereby facilitating faster but possibly premature actions.Finally, the data show that individual variation in the activation of striatum and pre-SMA is selectively associated with individual variation in the amplitude of the adjustments in the response threshold estimated by the mathematical model. These results demonstrate that when people have to make decisions under time pressure their striatum and pre-SMA show increased levels of activation
Unravelling donor-acceptor film morphology formation for environmentally-friendly OPV ink formulations
No full textThe challenge of coating organic photovoltaics (OPV) from green solvents is to achieve the required nanostructured interpenetrating network of donor and acceptor domains based on a rational choice of solvent approach as opposed to the usual trial-and-error methods. We demonstrate here that we can achieve a bicontinuous interpenetrating network with nanoscale phase separation for the chosen donor–acceptor material system poly[2,3-bis-(3-octyloxyphenyl)quinoxaline-5,8-diyl-alt-thiophene-2,5-diyl]:phenyl-C61 butyric acid methyl ester (TQ1:PC61BM) when processing from green solvent ink formulations. This structure is achieved by first calculating the Hansen solubility parameters (HSP) of the donor and acceptor materials, followed by careful choice of solvents with selective relative solubilities for the two materials based on the desired order of precipitation necessary for forming a nanostructured interdigitated network morphology. We found that the relative distances in Hansen space (Ra) between TQ1 and the primary solvent, on the one hand, and PC61BM and the primary solvent, on the other hand, could be correlated to the donor–acceptor morphology for the formulations based on the solvents d-limonene, anisole, and 2-methyl anisole, as well as the halogenated reference solvent o-dichlorobenzene. This nanostructured blend film morphology was characterised with scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the film surface composition was analysed by near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. Hansen solubility theory, based on solution thermodynamics, has been used and we propose an HSP-based method that is a general platform for the rational design of ink formulations for solution-based organic electronics, in particular facilitating the green solvent transition of organic photovoltaics. Our results show that the bulk heterojunction morphology for a donor–acceptor system processed from customised solvent mixtures can be predicted by the HSP-based method with good reliability
The interplay between ternary molten carbonate and biomaterials during pressurized slow pyrolysis
No full textThe effect of pressure on the thermochemical conversion of woody biomass and lignin in the presence of carbonate additives has been investigated at moderate temperatures (600 and 800 °C). A ternary eutectic carbonate (Li2CO3: 43.5%, Na2CO3: 31.5%, K2CO3: 25%) was mixed with both raw feedstock and pre-pyrolysed chars and heated under nitrogen. Results of raw feedstock pyrolysis confirmed a temperature delay in volatile removal when pressure was increased to 5 bar up to 600 °C. In a carbonate treated mixture, above the eutectic melting point, liquid carbonate covered the carbon particle surfaces for both samples. On application of external pressure, this impacted the movement of gases generated in situ. Volatiles were given longer to react before being removed from the system. In the case of biomass, the combination of pressure and carbonate additive increased porosity of the final char. Lignin comparably did not show clear changes to its surface morphology when carbonate was present. However, carbonate did promote the rate of devolatilisation of lignin at reduced reaction temperatures. When temperature was increased to 800 °C and feedstock pre-pyrolysed without carbonate salts, the introduction of both carbonate and increased pressure were seen to significantly modify the final carbon structure of the char. Carbon/carbonate gasification at 800 °C under N2 changed the initial graphitic morphology of pre-pyrolysed biochar to an amorphous, disordered carbon. However, for initially amorphous lignin char, a final structure showing increased graphitic layering resulted after treatment with carbonate under pressure. This difference in structural changes is discussed to originate from a salt-catalysed process
Modelling Experimental Measurements of Fluid Flow through Railway Ballast
No full textThe flooding of railway ballasts can cause extensive damage. This process has been the subject of several experimental investigations. In the present work, a relatively easy to implement approach to modelling this fluid flow is presented. It is shown that good agreement with the experimental results is obtained. The fluid flow is modelled by Darcy’s law, which we extend to the free fluid flowing above the ballast. The main complexity is in determining the free surface position, which is accomplished using an iterative procedure. The equations are solved using the finite element method. The method is illustrated by careful numerical calculations that are carefully compared with the experimental results reported in the literature. The method is then extended to realistic railway ballast, including the effects of ballast fouling. It is shown that when the flow begins to overtop the ballast, the free surface shifts to greatly increase the chance of ballast scouring
Translocation of soil arsenic towards accumulation in rice: magnitude of water management to minimize health risk
No full textGlobally, the risk of arsenic (As) contamination in soil and rice is well documented across the globe. In Bangladesh, drinking water and rice are two major exposure pathways of As to humans. Therefore, the efficiency of recent technologies to reduce rice As and associated human health risks still need to be deeply investigated. In this direction, a pot experiment was performed to investigate the impact of soil As and agronomic irrigation management on rice (cv. BRRI dhan28) growth, yield, As accumulation, and finally, health risks to humans from consuming rice. Treatment combinations were made with three levels of As (0, 20, and 40 mg kg−1) having two irrigation procedures, including alternate wetting and drying (AWD) and traditional continuous flooding (CF). According to the findings, As pollution in the soil lowered the yield contributing features and rice yield, including panicle length, filled grains per panicle, sterile grains per panicle, 1000-grain weight, grain yield, and straw yield. AWD water management significantly improved the growth performance and productivity of rice. Grain yield was increased by 13% in AWD compared to CF. Rice grain and straw As concentrations were increased to 0.56 mg kg−1 and 15.10 mg kg−1, respectively, in soil with 40 mg kg−1 As and CF water management. AWD treatment significantly reduced grain and straw As contents by 16% and 28%, respectively. Increased grain, straw, and total As uptake was noticed with higher soil As concentrations. The study also found that rising soil As raised non-carcinogenic risks (HQ > 1) and carcinogenic risks (CR > 1.010–4) while AWD lowered health risks compared to CF. Thus, rice farming using AWD irrigation could be a viable and long-term solution for reducing As contamination in rice and associated human health hazards
Are the physical environments of treatment centres meeting recommendations for patient-centred care? Perceptions of haematological cancer patients
No full textThe physical environment of a treatment centre may impact the well-being of patients and their perceptions of care. Outpatients with haematological cancer may be in contact with the treatment centre over long periods and could be particularly affected. This study aimed to identify haematological cancer patients’ perceptions of supportive design elements in the hospital they attended and associations with self-reported mood or well-being. Outpatients from three large metropolitan hospitals in Australia were mailed a self-report questionnaire and responded to statements about the treatment centre concerning their sense of control over the physical surroundings; access to social support; and access to positive distractions. Participants also reported whether they felt the overall environment affected their mood or wellbeing. Of the outpatients who returned the questionnaire (n = 165), almost one-quarter (24%) agreed that the physical environment of the hospital affected their mood or well-being. Patients who disagreed that the hospital was a comfortable temperature or agreed that waiting rooms were crowded had significantly higher odds of reporting that the treatment environment affected their mood or wellbeing. Implementing systems to reduce overcrowding in waiting rooms and increasing patient control over personal temperature in clinics may be the most effective strategies to improve patient wellbeing
Effect of immune activation during early gestation or late gestation on inhibitory markers in adult male rats
No full textPeople with schizophrenia exhibit deficits in inhibitory neurons and cognition. The timing of maternal immune activation (MIA) may present distinct schizophrenia-like phenotypes in progeny. We investigated whether early gestation [gestational day (GD) 10] or late gestation (GD19) MIA, via viral mimetic polyI:C, produces deficits in inhibitory neuron indices (GAD1, PVALB, SST, SSTR2 mRNAs) within cortical, striatal, and hippocampal subregions of male adult rat offspring. In situ hybridisation revealed that polyI:C offspring had: (1) SST mRNA reductions in the cingulate cortex and nucleus accumbens shell, regardless of MIA timing; (2) SSTR2 mRNA reductions in the cortex and striatum of GD19, but not GD10, MIA; (3) no alterations in cortical or striatal GAD1 mRNA of polyI:C offspring, but an expected reduction of PVALB mRNA in the infralimbic cortex, and; (4) no alterations in inhibitory markers in hippocampus. Maternal IL-6 response negatively correlated with adult offspring SST mRNA in cortex and striatum, but not hippocampus. These results show lasting inhibitory-related deficits in cortex and striatum in adult offspring from MIA. SST downregulation in specific cortical and striatal subregions, with additional deficits in somatostatin-related signalling through SSTR2, may contribute to some of the adult behavioural changes resulting from MIA and its timing